Improvement in horse hay-forks



2 Sheets-Sheet 1-. C. E. GLADDING.

Horse Hay Fork. No. 73,179. Patented Jany 7,' 1868.

N. PETERS. Phuln-uflw w w. Wampum D. c

@1612? grates idstmt @ffir CHARLES. E. GLADDING, or TROY, PENNSYLVANIA. Letters Patent No. 73,179, dated January 7, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE HAY-FORKS.

'd'tlge tlgihtle Itftll'th in in that items 33mm nut mating part if the sums.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that LOEARLES E. GLADDING, of Troy, in the county of Bradforthand State. of Pennsyivania, have invented a. newand improved Horse-Power Hay-Fork; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification. f

This invention relates to improvements made'on my fork for elevating hay, forwhich Letters'Patent were granted me, dated May 11, 1858, which improvements render the fork much more convenient for use, and much .better adapted. to the purposes for which power hay-forks are intended; and the invention consists in attaching to the handle and to the hail of thcfork a jointed connection, formed of different parts or sections,

which, in the diflerent positions which the fork assumes as itis uscd in elevating and discharging the hay, places it entirely under the control of the operatorfand greatly increases the value and usefulness of the implement.

' Figure 1 is a, longitudinal top view of the fork,'with thebail and the parts above mentioned folded down on to the handle. 7 v

Figure 2 is a side View of the same, showing the detaching-cord and a section of the rope by'which the fork is elevated. I

Figure 3 is aside viewbf theft'ork, with the bail and connection in position'for'elevating, and in red color at D the same parts are represented as thrownforivardwhen pressing upon thehay, which position will be referred'to hereafter. I p

Figure 4 represents. the fork as when dischargingthe hay.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the handle of the fork; B, the tines or fork proper. B is the head of the for-k. G is the bail, which is attached to .ends of the fork-head and outer tines,as seen in fig. 1. D represents the connection," which'is formed of three parts or sections, wliich,in connection with 'the bail, form the subjectsmatter of the present invention. I

In the patent which I have alluded to there is no rigid hail, the lifting-rope being attached to the fork, much as my present bail is, by a transverse rope, forming a .loop or crotch to which theliftin'g-rope is fastened. In pitchingor loading the fork, this loosev rope is a. source of great annoyance, as it frequently gets tangled and interferes with the detaching-apparatus.

My present improvement obviates this difiticulty while it enables me.to introduce the loaded fork into 'windows or doors in elevated orother situations, where it could not enter'before for the'discharge of the hay.

The peculiar form and construction of the connection D 'will'be understoodbynoticing the different figures of the drawing. The connection is formed of the parts E, F,-and G. H'is the'rope by which the fork is elevatedl Upon each side of the hundle a re the plates E, fastened by a bolt and thumb-screw. The head of the bolt is seen at a. The thumb-screw 'is seen at c, fig. 1. 'F is a crotchconnection, each leg of which is attached to one of these plates E, as seen vin fig. 1. The crotch F is connected to 'the piece G by a stop joint at d, the projecting lip of whichjoint, e, prevents the two parts from turning back further than to a straight position, or as seen in fig. 3; The part G isa lever, whose fulcrum is at the point,'f, where the bail G is attached. Four different views of the fork are seen in the drawings, representing thediiferent positions it assumes when it is in operation. When the fork is thrust into the hay, the connection D is foldedback upon theh andle, as seen in figs l and 2, so that the operation is unobstructed by theloose rope, asin the old fork. In fig. 3 the bail and connection D are seen as when the fork is loaded. In this'position the fork, when loaded, is balanced, or nearly so. As the connection is rigid, the purchase which the rope has on the connection holds the'fork and load nearly balanced, which is, in that position, easily managed by the attendant, who has hold of the rope, marked it, by which the fork is guided. D, in the same figure, shows the position which the bail and connection are made to assume by hauling back on the fork by the rope 72, when it is necessary to introduce'the fork into a window or through anarrow space for the discharge of the hay. In this case the bail and connection are pressed down on to the hay, thus forcing itto occupy a smaller space, the amount of compression on the hay being according to thechange in the centre of gravity caused by pulling back the fork. This arrangement is allowed by the change in the position of the plates E, which turn on the bolt a and assume the position seen in red, fig.'3. Fig. 4 represents the position of the' connection and bail as when discharging the boy from the fork. The tongue J'is rigidly attached to the head of the fork, and. it is held in place on the handle, as 'seen in figs. 1,2, and 3, by the latch or detnching-orrengement seen in the drawing et z', This arrangement is operated by the rope h, \vhich passes through the brindle, as seen in dotted line, the end being attached to the-latch, as represented in the drawing" When the loaded fork is'in thedesired position for the discharge of the-hwy, the attendant draws upon the part of the rope h which is attached to the latch, which-liberates the tongue J. The pert F of the connection I) is stopped by lugs on the plates E,Y(seen at 0,) while the tongue J posses up through the crotch of F, while the head and fork drop down, as seen. When the hey slides off the fork, the pull. of the hoisting-rope H on the lever G brings the fork into position again, wh en it is drawn back or folded do'wn on the handle and mode .ready'for another operation. The detaching-arrangement, with the head of the fork jointed to the handle, and

'secured by the tongue this frillyclescribed' in my patent betore nlludedlto.

-'Hnving thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to'secure by Letters Patent- I 1. In combination with a, power hey-fork, the'conncction D, or its equivalent, formed of the parts E, F, and ,G, or their equivalents, substantially as and for the purposes herein shown and describeclj 2. In combinnti'onnvith the connection D, or its equivalent, the bail G,'substantiallyvas described. The above specification of my invention signed by me, this 13th day of September, 1867.

o. GLADDING.

Witnesses: 7

Wu. F. MCNAMARA, ALEX. 'F. Ronnnrs. 

